I hid underneath the bushes when my surrounding suddenly turned warmer, I tried to move away but the area I was about to move to was burned

"Who's there?!" I heard a shout from the distance, this voice

I stood up and looked at the mage who shouted

"Astarotia, what are you doing here?" I asked

"Oh! Zeno, what a relief, you were gone for three days... we feared something might've happened" Astarotia replied with a worried face before waving her hand

Multiple warriors appeared from the bushes around her

"It's okay now, we can return to the city" I stated, I can't let them see Mirigai nor the ship we're living in

"Alright then, you guys head back first" Astarotia ordered the warriors to leave

"Well? what are we waiting for?" I asked, before walking past her

"Hey Zeno, why is your armor different? I don't recall you bringing any spare armor" Astarotia asked

"This? Oh... I had Cynthia bring it to me" I lied

"Cynthia? so where is she?" Astarotia started suspecting me

"She returned to our Guild to report"

"Really?... just to make sure, I'll go to the mountain" She turned her back and started heading for the mountain

"No, you can't the mountain still reeks of the carnage that the invaders left, surely a nice woman like you doesn't like the smell of blood" I persuaded her

"Of course I don't" Astarotia smiled before continuing "But this is my job" She continued walking

"Astarotia, don't. Let's just head back okay? leave the investigating to Julius and Gram" Even if I warn everyone now, they won't be able to hide a large ship like Mirigai

"So you really are hiding something" Astarotia eyed me

"Are you a spy from the demons?" Fire started emerging from the ground around her

"A spy? where did you get that conclusion?" Why would she think I'm a spy?

"First of all, you came from an 'Unknown Land', use weapons we have never seen and you seem to be uninterested in me! a beautiful woman!" She emphasized her last point

"I'm telling you the truth okay?" I have no idea how to convince her

"Fine, you're from another land but there's one belief here, whoever is stronger, he or she is right"

"So you want a match?"

"Precisely, if I win, I get to see what you're hiding"

"And if I win?"

"You can have me forever"

"I decline"

"Fine, state what you want, my body? my riches? state it as long as I have it or am capable of doing it"

I can't really make Astarotia do anything for me so what should I do?

I looked at her and remember everything has done and it came to me

"Reason" I stated

"What?"

"Tell me the reason why you've been so clingy to me, I can't really tell if you're doing so just to get something out of me or whatever"

"Alright, it's a deal then" She licked her lips

She pointed her palms toward me and a fireball headed straight for me, I sliced it in half but Astarotia was now nowhere to be found

I've seen her fight, I'll be in trouble if I were to underestimate her. I activated Azazel's ability, I looked around and saw another flicker of flame before a fireball headed straight towards me. I sliced it in half once again, my lower armor felt a bit hot so I looked underneath and saw a pentagram of flame underneath me.

It was too late to dodge, a pillar of flame spewed out of the circle and I was unable to escape... if only I had DK I could've used [Spatial rip] to escape

I looked at the armor's limit, the Nexus armor displays the limit of damage it can handle. It was 100% when I got it from the ship but now it was down to 87%, the Nexus armor endured the flame but my body was still affected by the heat

I saw a small fireball float and levitate by the dark forest, it started moving as if running. I predicted the path it was going to take and sent a [Crescent slash], Astarotia who was carrying the flame should've seen it coming and dodged but surprisingly, the fire still kept moving... something was weird. I quickly pressed a button by the neck of the Nexus armor and switched my night vision to thermal vision, I discovered that no one was carrying the flame and was just randomly heading to places. I looked behind me and saw Astarotia's figure. I switched back to night vision

I can now see Astarotia, I headed towards her with Azazel in hand, she smile and I knew something bad is going to happen. She stomped her feet and another fire pillar rose inches in front of me, good thing I stopped in time but a burning sensation hit my back... the fireball from ealier

She got me good

"Is this all you've got? honestly, I'm a bit disappointed"

"Did you really have high hopes"

"Yes"

"Sorry to disappoint"

I used [Illusion strike] and jumped back after leaving an Illusion of me in front of her

"Illusion huh, too bad, I've already encountered so much of them"

Astarotia spun around as fire spew from her arms, the illusion was hit and so was I. The illusion vanished and I was revealed. the trees and bushes around was in flames, no point in using my night vision now

"See, I got you~" She sent to flaming snakes towards me

The snakes were as thick as a grown man's arm but Azazel cut through them like they were made out of paper

Calm down, this is your first time fighting a mage... well, except that witch. Take this slow and analyze her.

She can spew flames from any part of her body, so attacking close range is hard but she also has magic that can target objects from far away... these mages are a cheat.

"Oh, if you're not moving then I will!" Astarotia stomped her foot and a fire pillar appeared but this time, she pushed it with her palm and the pillar headed straight towards me

"What the hell?!" I was surprised but I managed to dodge in time

"So you have no experience fighting mages?" She chuckled

She stomped her foot again but this time, three pillars came bursting out. She pushed the pillars and it all headed straight towards me, they merged into one large pillar, making sure that I can't jump to the side.

I raised Azazel up

"[Crescent Slash]" A large arc cut through the pillar, the fire pillar went past me and burned a large chunk of the forest behind me

I looked at Astarotia and her breathing is starting to get rough... she's getting tired. I headed straight towards her, I'll just force her to use her attacks and tire her out

She pointed her palms toward me and chanted, I stabbed Azazel on the ground before using another [Crescent slash], an Arc burst out and sliced through the ground scattering dust all over. Astarotia jumped to the side and aimed her palm towards me

She released a large blazing snake that tore through the ground, it completely ate me, well the illusion I left behind. I appeared behind her and swung my sword, I stopped when Azazel was centimeters away from her neck

"Yield"

"...How?" She asked

"I'll tell you next time, now, what about our bet"

"...Fine, Jeez, I was right after all" She patted the dust off her dress before walking towards a tree that wasn't burned

She sat down underneath the tree and I had no choice but to sit in front of her

"Zeno, have you ever gotten anything you asked for?" She asked me

"No, I'm poor back in my home, I had to work for it"

"I see... well, where do I start? First of all, the moment I was born, I was cursed, hated due to my affinity with fire, also my blood"

"Blood? are you half noble or something like that?"

"No... it's complicated, anyway, I grew up with no parents, I was homeless, when I was hungry, I stole, when I was cold, I burned anything I saw... nobody argued with me, I was happy, whenever I want something I just take it but there's this one man who I can't take"

She paused for a bit and looked at the stars before looking at me

"That man, he was amazing from the moment I saw him. It was love at first sight, I am willing to give anything, even my life"

Astarotia stood up and started walking away

"Now you know my reason" She smiled

"...so you're a street thug?" I joked, I want to lift the heavy atmosphere from earlier

"NO! that was in the past! I am now a blooming woman in love" She smiled as she beckoned me

'Zeno to transport ship, something came up and I have to head back to the city, don't worry'

'Zeno, I told you to call it Mini-Warden!' Alissa quickly corrected me

'Alright, alright, you really miss your ship huh'

'Yup, take care okay? call me tomorrow'

'Okay'

'Uhm... It feels weird using this but... take care' Cynthia also bid farewell

'Gotcha' I replied

Astarotia and I walked through the dark forest, she lit the pathway with a fireball dancing around her. Is it weird for me to say this but Astarotia actually looks attractive. Her tight red dress that clung to her body, her face that glowed with the fire she controlled... it was even more emphasized by the darkness around us

What the hell?! you already have Alissa, snap out of it... there's also Cynthia, don't tell me I'm turning into one of those rich bastards that had 30+ wives from my timeline

I slapped myself as we walked on the tight narrow footpath, Astarotia, weirded out by my actions yet found it amusing only chuckled and hopped ahead of me. For the first time, I can confidently say

She looks more beautiful if she smiles this way